Metsähallitus and Suomen Hyötytuuli have signed an access right contract by which Metsähallitus leases the public water area off the coast of Pori Tahkoluoto to Suomen Hyötytuuli for wind power production. The agreement is the first long-running access right contract for public water area designated for wind power production.
“Suomen Hyötytuuli is a pioneer in offshore wind farms in Finland. Tahkoluoto Extension is an important step on Finland’s path to carbon neutrality by 2035”, says Juha S Niemelä, Director General of Metsähallitus.
Toni Sulameri, CEO at Suomen Hyötytuuli, emphasizes the project’s significance to energy production and starting offshore wind business in Finland. ”Tahkoluoto Extension is a substantial investment for Suomen Hyötytuuli and it continues our work at the forefront of wind power development. We see that this project launches offshore wind business in Finland.”
“Constructing and operating offshore wind farms has a positive impact on local economy and business through purchases needed for the investment. Furthermore, the wind farms built in public water areas bring a significant income to local municipalities in the form of property taxes”, Niemelä explains.
Offshore wind power in Tahkoluoto
Suomen Hyötytuuli’s Tahkoluoto offshore wind farm in Pori was piloted in 2010 and completed in 2017. It is Finland’s first offshore wind farm and the world’s first wind farm in frozen sea conditions. Suomen Hyötytuuli is now developing an extension wind farm north-east of Tahkoluoto. The land use plan was approved in December 2022 and allows for 40 modern wind generators of over 15 megawatts.
After signing the access right contract, the project proceeds to permitting, technical design and investment preparation. The project is estimated to be completed in 2027 and is expected to produce approx. 2000 gigawatt hours for over 30 years.
The role of Metsähallitus in offshore wind
The Maritime Spatial Plan and the regional land use plans identify several potential areas for offshore wind development in Finnish sea areas. As the holder of public water areas, Metsähallitus develops projects, issues reservation and access rights contracts and acts as a lessor. The ownership of the water areas remains with the state.
“The Finnish Government granted Metsähallitus the right to lease the water areas governed by the state for the Tahkoluoto Extension offshore wind farm in the summer of 2022”, says Niemelä. He continues to explain that the role of Metsähallitus in developing offshore wind power was revisited at the end of 2021, when the Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy approved the auction model that is used to select operators for new projects in public water areas. Metsähallitus will bring more areas to the market during 2023.
“The competitiveness of offshore wind power has grown stronger in the recent years, and it is clear that Finland also attracts international interest among the companies that invest in offshore wind power” Niemelä states.
Source: Metsähallitus
